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The Arizona Interscholastic Association's court case involving three member schools challenging their football conference placements finally began Thursday -- electronically -- with the focus on the size and safety of players.

This case was moved from February to April then pushed to this week, because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Judge Lisa Daniel Flores of Maricopa County Northeast Valley Regional Superior Court, in her opening remarks, explained that written closing arguments can be filed via email by Wednesday midnight and any supplemental material can be received by May 15. She said she would work through the weekend to go over the materials.

Northwest Christian Crusaders take the field to play the Valley Christian Trojans in the first half during a game on Sep. 27, 2019 in Phoenix, Ariz.(Photo: Rob Schumacher/The Republic)

"It's my hope to use your documents, your findings and I'll give my final decision," she said. "You should have my decision by Monday (May 18)."

High school football teams all over the state have been waiting for a conclusion, so they can get their 2020 schedules. The AIA is not releasing any final schedules until after it is decided which conferences Northwest Christian, Eagar Round Valley and Queen Creek Benjamin Franklin will be placed in next season.

The AIA's Legislative Council on March 1, 2019, passed through a new football reclassification model, applying standard deviation and rankings to place schools for football based on the last three years' success.

No school could move up or down more than one conference and no more than 14 points would be used as points differentials.

The football placements didn't begin until the conclusion of the new Open Division state championship on Dec. 7. Schools were given a chance to appeal, and Northwest (moved up from 3A to 4A), Round Valley (moved up from 2A to 3A) and Benjamin Franklin (moved up from 3A to 4A) all lost their appeals.

On Feb. 20, Northwest Christian filed a lawsuit against its conference placement with attorney Erik Stanley citing safety as the main issue, playing against larger opponents.

Round Valley and Benjamin Franklin later joined the suit against the AIA.

Geoff Brown, superintendent for Northwest Christian School, the first witness on Thursday, was asked by Stanley what the school's main concern was.

"My primary concern is safety," Brown said. "I believe there is ample evidence that we have cause for concern."

Brown also spoke about the school's inadequate facilities to host 4A games because the stadium can only seat 300 with little to no room for a visiting team's band, small locker room space and limited parking.

Northwest Christian coach Dave Inness was asked by Stanley the size of his roster and the size of the players, with no more than 10 weighing more than 200 pounds and how many of them play both ways, never leaving the field.

Inness said that the 50 players on the varsity roster included junior-varsity players who suit up on Friday nights for varsity games. In 3A, there is a rule that allows players to play six quarters per week, whereas in big schools (which comprises of 4A through 6A), players can play no more than 10 games in a regular season.

The AIA High School Championships Media Day was held at Dave & Buster's at the Tempe Marketplace, Tuesday, November 26, 2019. AIA Executive Director David Hines addresses the crowd.(Photo: Tom Tingle/The Republic)

Inness has said he believes it would kill his JV program if Northwest was placed in 4A, because he wouldn't be able to have JV players do both.

Cross-examined by AIA representative Alan Feldman, Inness was asked about the competition his teams faced since 2017 that included a 72-6 win over Kingman in 2018 when the Crusaders went 13-1 and beat Yuma Catholic in triple overtime for the 3A title.

"Did Northwest Christian ever ask the AIA about the safety of those players you beat 72-6?" the attorney asked.

David Hines, executive director of the AIA, took up the afternoon's session on the stand without being asked specifically about Northwest Christian, Round Valley and Benjamin Franklin.

Most of the questioning had to do with the football reclassification timeline, what input and models were considered, and how it was enacted.

Hines said competitive equity in the playoffs led to the new model of placing schools for football because there had been so many blowouts and a lack of intrigue in games.

Hines said that with the new model, schools would be able to cross-conference schedules, playing teams either up or down a conference during the regular season.

Stanley asked Hines whether the Legislative Council and the AIA Executive Board considered safety for the players and the schools' enrollment sizes regarding the new football conference placements model.

Stanley pointed out AIA bylaw 8.1.6.8 regarding football placement. It states that schools will first be placed in the conference in which the school competed during the previous season, using the average weighted (three years) AIA Rankings powered by MaxPreps of plus-2 or more to move up one conference, and schools with plus-1 or 1 not moving and schools with a standard deviation of minus-2 or below moving down one conference.

"The bylaw does not take into consideration the size of these players, is that correct?" Stanley asked.

"Yes," Hines said.

"The bylaw also does not take into consideration the schools' size?"

"That is correct," Hines responded.

The trial will reconvene Friday morning with a doctor to take the stand as a witness for Northwest Christian.